Posts
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
nVidia nano super computer $249
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkK7uVPb29s
https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/jetson-generative-ai-supercomputer/
Assuming an LLM could query a proprietary database on such a device without any security concerns.
Laser weapons in Ukraine
All the cool shit we love and dreamed of - VR, robots, artificial intelligence, drones. And, don't forget about lasers! Just like in Star Wars, care of the evil empire. How long until a death star shows up posing as a moon and blows a planet apart? Earth, for example.
I was following laser weapons 20 years ago, I can't believe I haven't thought to check in sooner.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/12/18/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news16/
Monday, December 16, 2024
Monday, December 9, 2024
Google quantum computer breakthrough
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/technology/google-quantum-computing.html
"On Monday, Google unveiled a new
quantumcomputer that may end this back-and-forth race with traditional machines and that points to a future in which quantum computers could drive advances in areas like drug discovery and artificial intelligence.
Google said its quantum computer, based on a computer chip called Willow, needed less than five minutes to perform a mathematical calculation that one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers could not complete in 10 SEPTILLION years (A septillion is 1 followed by 24 zeroes...
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), a length of time that exceeds the age of the known universe...
“When quantum computing was originally envisioned, many people — including many leaders in the field — felt that it would never be a practical thing,” said mikhail lukin, a professor of physics at Harvard University and a co-founder of the quantum computing start-up QuEra Computing Inc. “What has happened over the last year shows that it is no longer science fiction.”...
Google’s quantum computer also uses a form of error correction — a way of reducing mistakes — that could allow this kind of machine to reach its potential. In a research paper published on Monday in the science journal Nature Magazine, Google said its machine had surpassed the “error correction threshold,” a milestone that scientists have been working toward for decades."
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Hairloss prevention / restoration helmet
I follow this guy's channel for mind tech devices.
$1800, use for 12 minutes daily for 3 months to see results.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Friday, November 29, 2024
AI vision testing
I wondered whether AI could provide new testing methods to replace standard eye exams.
Here's what ChatGPT has to say, starting with where to find such new exams:
1. Search Online for Specific Companies and Products
- Look for the companies and tools mentioned earlier, such as:
- EyeNetra: Offers smartphone-based autorefractors.
- EyeQue VisionCheck: Provides at-home vision testing tools.
- AEYE Health: Specializes in AI retinal imaging diagnostics.
2. Consult an Optometrist or Eye Care Provider
- Many optometrists now integrate advanced diagnostic tools like AI-enhanced wavefront aberrometers or retinal imaging systems. Call local eye clinics and ask if they use AI-powered or digital vision testing technologies.
3. Check for FDA-Approved or Cleared Devices
- Look for devices or systems with regulatory approval to ensure safety and efficacy. You can check:
4. Telemedicine Platforms
- Explore online eye care services that use AI for remote testing:
- Simple Contacts and Warby Parker offer online vision tests for prescription renewals.
- Simple Contacts
- Warby Parker Virtual Vision Test
5. Retail Chains Offering Advanced Vision Testing
- Larger chains like LensCrafters and Visionworks may already incorporate AI diagnostics into their services. Call local stores to inquire about available technology.
6. Search Through Research Centers and Universities
- Universities often partner with startups to test innovative vision technologies. Search for clinics or research programs at institutions like Stanford or MIT that focus on digital health.
7. Use Directories for Eye Health Professionals
8. Online Marketplaces
- For self-administered tools, check e-commerce platforms like Amazon or specialty stores for products like EyeQue VisionCheck or other AI-based tools.
Yes, several AI-driven methods are currently being employed to revolutionize vision testing and the prescription of glasses:
1. AI-Powered Autorefractors: Devices like EyeNetra's NETRA utilize smartphones to perform automated refraction tests. By guiding users through interactive procedures, these tools measure refractive errors and assist in prescribing corrective lenses.
2. Smartphone-Based Vision Testing Applications: Applications such as EyeQue's VisionCheck 2 enable users to conduct self-administered vision tests at home. These apps employ AI algorithms to analyze user inputs and generate eyeglass prescriptions, enhancing accessibility to vision care.
3. AI-Enhanced Visual Acuity Tests: The Stanford Acuity Test employs Bayesian adaptive algorithms to refine visual acuity measurements, offering more precise assessments compared to traditional eye charts.
4. Autonomous AI for Retinal Imaging: Companies like AEYE Health have developed FDA-cleared AI systems capable of autonomously diagnosing conditions such as diabetic retinopathy from retinal images. These systems facilitate early detection and intervention without the immediate need for specialist review.
5. AI in Teleophthalmology: AI-driven platforms are being integrated into teleophthalmology services to assess image quality and provide instant feedback during remote eye examinations, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
These advancements demonstrate the significant impact of AI in enhancing the precision, accessibility, and efficiency of vision testing and eye care services.
Bolsonaro's Comeback in Brazil
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/bolsonaro-trump-comeback-brazil-fd5c8e26
BRASÍLIA—Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil, wants to return to power and said he believes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will help make that happen, possibly by using economic sanctions against the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Banned from running for office until 2030 and facing criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup, Bolsonaro said he sees Trump’s election as a game-changer for his future and politicians on the right in Latin America. Leftists have recently won presidential elections in Mexico and Uruguay and govern most large countries in the region.
“Trump is back, and it’s a sign we’ll be back too,” Bolsonaro said in an interview this week with The Wall Street Journal from his party headquarters in the capital, Brasília.
Flanked by two congressmen allies in a tightly secured office plastered with photos of recent rallies, Bolsonaro said he and his lawmaker son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, had been in close contact with the incoming U.S. administration since the Nov. 5 election. “I was up the whole night rooting for the big orange guy,” he said, using the affectionate Portuguese term for Trump, “Laranjão.”
Da Silva’s leftist government, which considers Bolsonaro an authoritarian figure, declined to comment on the former president’s assertions. A spokesperson for Trump’s incoming administration didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Bolsonaro, who was president of the world’s fourth-most populous democracy from 2019 through 2022, has been one of Trump’s closest foreign allies. Sharing similar views on the culture wars and scorn for the political left and the media, the two men deepened ties when their presidencies overlapped in 2019 and 2020. The two presented a united front against Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Still wildly popular with swaths of Brazil’s social conservatives, as well as parts of the business community, Bolsonaro would narrowly win an election against da Silva if the vote was carried out today, according to a survey this week by Brazil’s Paraná Pesquisas polling institute. Bolsonaro would get 37.6% of the vote, while the leftist would receive 33.6%, it found.
Bolsonaro has also sought to firm up regional and global ties on the right with leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, he said, even awarding them with his infamous weighty “Bolsonaro Club” medal. It sports a slogan in Portuguese that roughly translates as “immortal, virile, and not to be screwed with.”
After police seized Bolsonaro’s passport earlier this year, his son Eduardo, a friend of former Trump aide Steve Bannon, acted as a go-between, Bolsonaro said, joining Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort for the U.S. presidential election.
“It’s time for MAAGA—Make All Americas Great Again,” said Bolsonaro, proudly displaying a book published last year that Trump gave him with the inscription “Jair—You are GREAT.”
Bolsonaro, dubbed the Trump of the Tropics by Brazil’s press, has never needed his U.S. counterpart more, though it’s unclear how much assistance he could receive and in what form, if any.
Brazilian police last week accused Bolsonaro and 36 of his allies of plotting a coup to stop da Silva from taking office after Bolsonaro narrowly lost the 2022 election. The allegations include plans to assassinate the leftist leader. The charges stem from a Jan. 8, 2023, uprising in which several thousand Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court in Brasília before police fended them off.
Brazil’s electoral court also has effectively banned him from running in the next presidential election in 2026. The court ruled last year that he had undermined confidence in the country’s electoral system by accusing da Silva of stealing the 2022 election, without presenting sufficient evidence.
Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing, saying he is the victim of a witch hunt by da Silva and left-leaning judges.
“They don’t just want me in jail, they want me dead,” said Bolsonaro, who is 69 years old. He lifted his shirt to show a giant scar across his disfigured belly, the result of a near-fatal stabbing on the campaign trail in 2018. A judge later ruled the attacker was mentally ill.
Since his first presidential campaign in 2018, Bolsonaro has cast himself as a political underdog. In the interview, he broke down in tears as he spoke about his mother’s struggle to care for him and his five siblings while working as a maid on a farm. Like Trump, he has sought to brand himself via a stream of merchandise, recently launching his own aftershave. Bolsonaro beer is next, he said.
Bolsonaro plans to register his candidacy ahead of the 2026 vote despite the ban, he said, banking on pressure from Trump on Brazil’s judges to delay enforcement of the 2023 ruling just long enough for him to run. The former Brazilian army officer suggested that Trump could level economic sanctions against da Silva’s government to help him.
“As long as the electoral court doesn’t turn down my registration, it’s valid,” Bolsonaro said. “They can just put it off as long as possible…until the election is over.”
By coincidence, a Bolsonaro-nominated Supreme Court judge, Kassio Nunes Marques, is scheduled to preside over Brazil’s electoral court in 2026. Marques voted against the decision last year to ban Bolsonaro from office.
“I’m not obsessed with power, it’s actually rather tiring at my age,” Bolsonaro said. “There are also people more intelligent than me…but no one has thicker skin, nor the experience I have.”
Questioned about the nature of possible U.S. sanctions under Trump, Bolsonaro spoke of Washington’s oil sanctions on Venezuela. In his first term, Trump employed a “maximum pressure” campaign of economic sanctions and direct support for Venezuela’s opposition in a failed effort to unseat Maduro.
“Trump has also been very concerned about Venezuela and discussed with me ways in which we can return it to democracy,” said Bolsonaro.
Brazil’s right has also lobbied Trump to withdraw the U.S. visa of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has led sweeping criminal investigations into Bolsonaro and his allies—a request that is viewed favorably by parts of the incoming U.S. administration, according to people close to the situation.
Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, is already one of de Moraes’s biggest critics after the judge shut down Musk’s X social-media platform in Brazil for more than a month this year after it refused to block right-wing accounts accused of spreading hate speech. Musk, like Bolsonaro, has called de Moraes a “dictator.”
A spokesperson for de Moraes declined to comment.
U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R., Fla.) called the Brazilian judge “the vanguard of an international assault on freedom of speech,” holding up a photo of de Moraes when she introduced a bill with Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) in September that would deny U.S. entry to any foreign authority found to have threatened freedom of speech.
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Artificial Kidneys
Artificial kidneys are innovative devices designed to replicate the essential functions of natural kidneys, offering potential alternatives to traditional dialysis and transplantation for individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Recent advancements in this field include the development of implantable bioartificial kidneys and wearable dialysis machines.
Implantable Bioartificial Kidneys
The Kidney Project, a collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is at the forefront of creating an implantable bioartificial kidney. This device combines a hemofilter to remove waste products from the blood with a bioreactor housing cultured kidney cells to perform metabolic and endocrine functions. A key innovation is the use of silicon nanopore membranes, which allow for necessary molecular exchange while protecting the implanted cells from immune rejection, potentially eliminating the need for immunosuppressive therapy.
In 2023, the team successfully demonstrated the feasibility of this approach in preclinical studies, showing that the bioreactor could maintain kidney cell viability and function without immunosuppression. The next steps involve scaling up the device and conducting longer-term trials to assess its safety and efficacy in humans.
Wearable Artificial Kidneys
Another promising development is the wearable artificial kidney (WAK), a portable hemodialysis device designed to allow continuous treatment, thereby improving patient mobility and quality of life. The WAK utilizes dialysate-regenerating sorbent technology and is powered by batteries, enabling patients to remain ambulatory during treatment. Clinical trials have demonstrated its potential to effectively clear uremic toxins and maintain electrolyte balance over extended periods.
However, technical challenges such as device miniaturization, ensuring reliable blood and dialysate flow, and preventing clotting remain to be addressed before widespread clinical adoption.
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite significant progress, several challenges persist in the development of artificial kidneys:
Biocompatibility: Ensuring that materials used in these devices do not induce adverse immune responses is critical.
Sustainability: Developing energy-efficient systems that can operate continuously without frequent maintenance or battery changes is essential for patient convenience.
Scalability: Manufacturing devices that can accommodate the diverse physiological needs of patients with varying degrees of kidney failure is necessary for broad applicability.
Ongoing research in tissue engineering, nanotechnology, and materials science is crucial to overcoming these hurdles. The ultimate goal is to provide ESRD patients with artificial kidneys that closely mimic natural organ function, thereby reducing dependence on dialysis and addressing the shortage of donor organs.
For more detailed information, you may refer to the following sources:
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Audio book on AI by Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, Craig Mundie
Genesis Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit By Henry A. Kissinger , Eric Schmidt , Craig Mundie
https://www.audible.com/pd/Genesis-Audiobook/B0D4B9C9FB
For those wondering who is Craig Mundie
Article: Kissinger’s final warning: Prepare now for ‘superhuman’ people to control Earth
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/nov/19/henry-kissinger-final-warning-prepare-superhuman-p/
Relate this post back to Eric Schmidt's development of AI drones via project White Stork.
https://fallowfields.blogspot.com/2024/11/eric-schmidt-calls-for-replacing-tanks.html
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Chinese trade mega port in Peru
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg79y3rz1eo
Here's the first article I saw and posted from January '24
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-widens-south-america-trade-110528223.html
...more on the state of China's Belts and Roads Initiative (BRI)
Friday, November 15, 2024
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Quick prepper items
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Solar-powered generator
The C1000 with the 200-watt panels charges faster than powering with a car charger; can power small appliances that the lower-end ones cannot, and doesn't depend on fuel. Priority on powering a phone/wifi router, and heating water.
- Water collection/purification
- First aid
- Protection
What's up with the Polymarket?
FBI seizes Polymarket CEO’s phone, electronics after betting platform predicts Trump win:
I'd never heard of it until seeing an interview with Mark Cuban:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlLjRZM2VE
Then, I wondered about Elon Musk:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-advocates-crypto-prediction-072206636.html
And, here it is:
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Friday, November 1, 2024
Eric Schmidt calls for replacing tanks with AI attack drones
Just in time for the election. I guess he's ready to make his money and become a general.
So, would we be replacing U.S. tanks with drones abroad or in our own backyard?
https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/30/google_ceo_tank_ai_drones/
Quote from another article:
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/ex-google-ceo-eric-schmidt-144350819.html
Schmidt was the CEO of Google until 2011 and remained its chairman until 2015. A year later he became the chairman of the Department of Defense's Innovation Board, a position he held for four years, his website shows.
Here's my earlier post from January '24:
https://fallowfields.blogspot.com/2024/01/google-eric-schmidt-white-stork-ai.html
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Meta real-time translation
Later this year, Meta says the glasses will be able to translate in real-time between English and French, Italian or Spanish.
https://www.uploadvr.com/ray-ban-meta-glasses-new-2024-features-styles/
https://ai.meta.com/research/seamless-communication/
https://www.uploadvr.com/ray-ban-meta-glasses-new-2024-features-styles/
Monday, October 21, 2024
Soros Audacy radio deal
From the article:
Weeks before the 2024 election, the Democratic megadonor has notched a victory in his endless pursuit to gain influence over the news media landscape in the United States. In a 3-2 vote sending shockwaves throughout the Republican Party, the Federal Communications Commission in September allowed a nonprofit group funded by Soros to take control over radio giant Audacy after the company went bankrupt.
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Who remembers when everyone hated George W. Bush?
They change the channel like we’re on remote control.
And we never even notice.
Who remembers how much everyone hated dumbass C-student George W. ‘The Decider’ Bush and Dick Cheney?
Cokin’ and chokin’ on his pretzel and talking about how God told him to be President.
Turns out 'God' was his mom.
Right after 911, everyone was saber rattling and watching BBC live footage as the U.S. war machine plowed across the desert in Afghanistan, hunting for weapons of mass destruction, served on an emotional backdrop of symphonic music.
And Tony Blair swooning,
"Oh, Mr. Bush, you're so rough and tumble. We shall drive those heathens back to their holes!"
I remember cruising past LongHorn Steakhouse, where every gas-guzzling Suburban in the parking lot had a little black square with a white 'W' stuck on the back window.
Sleek, unobtrusive, and tasteful. Designerly, classy, a status statement.
And at Ryan’s Steakhouse…Red, White, and Blue full bumper stickers were plastered across the back of every Jimmy. ‘Power of Pride’, complete with a Gold Eagle.
Saddam was hung, but no weapons were found.
The Left absolutely hated Bush and, through guilt by association, Christianity.
And everyone mocked Cheney’s Haliburton stock.
I remember thinking both of those elections had to be stolen. You know, because it's always so reliably close. Some things never change.
By the end of W’s second term, every Republican admitted they fucked up.
Oh, well. Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven.
That’s how Obama became President; the anti-Bush palette cleanser, carrying 60% of White voters, and 99% of Black voters.
Young, black, hip, celebrated for being articulate, and squeaky-clean.
Carefully crafted and teleprompted. The community organizer.
Barack Hussein Obama. Wow, just rub it in our faces.
The Facebook President. Remember, Zuckerberg Caesar?
The administration didn't make you do everything. Maybe it was because you were young. Maybe.
But the war never ended.
Finally, after eight years of having political correctness shoved up our asses and down our throats, America desperately needed an enema, it was Trump to the rescue.
The Reality TV President.
And now, after years of BLM burning our cities and Black businesses to the ground, a surprise Biden election, a second recession that looks a lot like 2008, only a lot worse, the expansion of BRICS, the open border, wars on multiple fronts, unaffordable housing, mass layoffs, AI accelerating like...like you'd think it was an arms race...and a third shooter...
...Bush, Cheney, and Obama form a circle jerk and endorse Kamala Harris. Some young people say it’s better than the alternative.
Because compared to Trump, Bush was just doing his job.
So, all the hatred of Bush has been forgiven and forgotten like it never happened.
Obama endorsed war in the Middle East, too.
Pass the torch. They're all buds in the Uni-Party.
Republican or Democrat, it doesn't matter.
How long ago did we start that war? 2001? Shucks, that was more than 20 years ago.
Longer, actually. And not that it's over. In fact, we just re-upped our subscription.
And now, some young people say war is necessary to support our “lifestyle.”
This 32-year-old Black girl politely agreed to disagree with my observation about the perpetual war in the Middle East because my point of view differs from hers due to our background differences. America was founded on slavery.
I guess Chinese slave labor is also necessary to support our lifestyle.
Slavery and Death. Import and export. Check, check.
As long as it's someone else. Right, LaBron?
And what about the open border?
A: "We were all immigrants once."
And what about cartels?
A: "That’s over-hyped."
And now, Kamala says she’ll start fracking.
What were you just saying about the necessity of war to support our lifestyle?
And Kamala says she’ll build the wall.
What were you just saying about the open border?
To recap, who remembers how much the Left despised George W Bush? And Cheney?
And now those guys endorse Kamala.
The Uni-Party endorses Kamala. Because they're rightfully Uni-fied against Hitler himself.
So, tell me, youngin’, who is Dick Cheney?
What did Trump say when the so-called moderator asked that loaded question about Ukraine?
"I want people to stop dying."
What a pussy. I want my MTV!
Who remembers when liberals were anti-war? Damn "hippies."
No more hippies; now we just have the weed. Albeit laced with fentanyl.
Let's lighten up. Who remembers transvestites? Seven feet tall, cruising the mall.
At least nowadays, they have the decency to grow some tits and chop off their dicks.
And please, lose those ridiculous balls.
Typical man, afraid of commitment.
And speaking of real men, Dick Cheney should take Tim Walz hunting. Those manly men.
Forget MAGA. Vote for War and Slavery!
Now, that sounds like a party, American-style!
Everybody get your popcorn, and don't touch that dial!
